The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Miliband's phone confiscated after texts to Cable

Labour leader's phone taken away by aides and replaced by one with a new number.

By George Eaton Published 28 September 2012 9:57

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. Photograph: Getty Images.

Ed Miliband told Labour's NEC that his phone had "recently been taken away by his aides". Photograph: Getty Images.

After perhaps one too many text exchanges with Vince Cable, Ed Miliband has reportedly had his phone confiscated by aides. Today's Times (£) reports that Labour tribalist Dennis Skinner and Ken Livingstone challenged Miliband over his conversations with Cable at a preconference meeting of the NEC, to which he replied that his phone had "recently been taken away by his aides". It has apparently been replaced by one with a phone number that has been given to "a much smaller number of people". Thus, politics continues in its mission to put The Thick Of It's writers out of a job.

It's not the first time Miliband has been parted from his phone. In his interview with the New Statesman earlier this month, the Labour leader revealed that he left his phone at home during his holiday in Greece. "It was such a relief and a liberation not having a phone," he said. If someone needed to contact him, they were told to ring his wife, Justine, "which of course they were reluctant to do".

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: Labour Ed Miliband Vince Cable Liberal Democrats

More from George Eaton

View the discussion thread.

6 comments

Sun, 2012-09-30 13:13 — hugh markey (not verified)

If Ed were more advanced in years we could call them a 'couple of old gossips'. Still you've got to admire this young nerd for trying to teach 'an old dog new tricks'. Soixent-neuf was it? Dangerous age. V for Victory and all that.

Dave 'Head Boy' Cameron blames his old school for not teaching him electronic protocol. Warned by his beak that an interest in things technical might suggest he was more suited to technical college and an apprenticeship than the academic cloisters of public school.
Dave's Classic's master froths at the mouth when mention is made of his old pupil's grasp of Latin. An' he don't speek Greek neither. No, and this beak won't be featuring in any political ads made on the subject of education and former student's appreciation of teaching staff.

LOL

Sun, 2012-09-30 13:12 — hugh markey (not verified)

LOL

Fri, 2012-09-28 23:44 — Mr Bingham (not verified)

Maybe things are getting a bit romantic and they are getting carried away with the idea of forming a coalition together at/after the next general election !

Shows a lack of confidence really !

Who really needs the Liberal Democrats any way because the voters dont. God help us if the next general election does turn out to be a hung parliament.

What a puppet show.